Heaven - Chapter 9 Alternate Ending
by TheInvisibleInk
Summary: Okay. This is the alternate ending I was talking about for Chapter 9 in my fic Heaven. A reader requested for this version so I decided to post it as well. This will affect most of Chapter 10 so I posted it separately. For the sake of those who are curious, here it is.


_Title: Heaven_

_Pairings: Faberrittana._

_Summary: When they were still children, it used to be Q, R, S and B. But now that they are in high school, they are known as The Unholy Trinity and Rachel Berry. Rachel, feeling abandoned by her best friends, tried to move on with a positive outlook. The Unholy Trinity, fed up with the guilt and the ache of missing Rachel, finally decided to mend their broken friendship with the girl. Separated by their differences, will they be able to get back how they used to be? What if the Unholy Trinity wanted more than just friendship from Rachel?_

**Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.**

**Author's Note: Nothing much changed here except for the ending…obviously. You can just skip to it if you want. Obviously, the ending here should affect most part of Chapter 10 but since I decided to go with a different ending, I decided to post this separately. I decided to post this as per request. Thank you for supporting 'Heaven'!**

**Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B**

**Chapter 9 – Alternate Chapter Ending**

Santana was certain she was breaking all traffic rules but she didn't really care. She's a Lopez. She pretty much always got away from almost everything. And right now, Quinn needed her. And so as Rachel. The Cheerio captain sounded anxious when she called. She was yet to know what really happened but for now, all she needed to know was that Rachel was hurt and Quinn was worried about the tiny diva. And it was enough for Santana to speed her way towards the park.

What was Quinn thinking? Taking a walk in the park at this hour? Santana shook her head as her hands tightened on the wheel. She relaxed a little when she reached her destination. She didn't even bother to park properly as she jolted out of the car. Thankfully, the two girls were just near the entrance.

The fiery Latina gasped at sight of Rachel. She met Quinn's eyes for a bit and then back to the diva that was now lying on the blonde's lap, asleep. The small brunette's features denoted exhaustion, not to mention the cuts and bruises and dried blood on her face.

"Jesus fucking Christ...what the fuck happened Q?" Santana asked, her voice rising a little but full of concern and worry. She knelt down in front of the sleeping girl and gently brushed some hair away from the girl's face.

"She saved my life," Quinn answered softly as she kept her eyes on the slumbering body on her lap, ignoring the slight raise o the Latina's voice. Well, it was Santana.

"It's a long story, San," she added when she saw the confusion on Santana's face.

"Oh no Quinn—"

"Santana," Quinn cut her off firmly, meeting the girl's scowl with a stern look, "I will tell you about it later, okay? Right now, we have to get out of here and take care of Rach."

They both turned as Rachel stirred on her sleep, her eyes blinking a few times. Rachel's face went from blank to scrunching her face in confusion. The two girls smiled at the adorable sight.

"San?" Rachel called out, her voice barely a whisper.

Santana managed a small but relieved smile, "Hey you."

Rachel lifted a hand and gently cupped the Latina's face, "You look tired."

Santana was caught off guard with Rachel's action and she couldn't control it when her eyes turned watery at the simple but sweet gesture. She placed a hand above Rachel's that was holding her and watched as the diva's eyes blinked a few times before closing completely. Santana glanced at Quinn who saw the gesture from the small brunette. They stared at each other and their eyes share the same look of regret and guilt for the sweet girl.

"Come on. Let's go get her to my car," Santana said as she got up to her feet and took the sleeping girl in her arms, carrying her bridal style. Quinn walked beside her.

"We should take her to a hospital."

Quinn shook her head as she sat at the passenger seat, giving a quick glance at Rachel who was lying on the back seat, "She doesn't want to. I tried to convince her but she was being stubborn.

Santana rolled her eyes at that, "Alright. My house then," she put on her seatbelt and drove away from the park just as a mobile car passed by them.

Quinn scoffed, "They're slow."

"What do you expect? This is Lima."

"Well, at least you got there before they did. I'm not really sure what to tell them."

"What the hell happened anyway?"

"I'll tell you later, San. I think we should tell Britt about this."

"Fine. I'll call her once we get home," Santana mumbled under her breath, disappointed and annoyed for keeping her in the dark.

As they were nearing the Lopez residence, Rachel was already awake. Sort of. The tiny brunette was a little groggy and it took her a while to realize where she was. She sat up abruptly and regretted it right away. She fell back on the back seat with a groan. Her body hurt _everywhere_! She's had worse but it didn't mean she was numb from it. Besides, it wasn't like she got beat up so often.

What was wrong with her lately? First Puck and now, Quinn? She was losing in her own game. How embarrassing.

"Oh good. You're awake. I was getting worried. How are you feeling?" Quinn asked, shifting from her seat to check on the injured brunette.

"Ugh. Like hell."

Quinn looked sympathetic but offered Rachel a small smile. She was just relieved that the tiny diva didn't get seriously hurt, "Just hang on there, okay? We're almost at Santana's."

Rachel scrunched up her nose, "Santana?"

"I'm here, Midge."

"Oh."

Of course somebody had to be on the driver's seat since Quinn wasn't. Rachel mentally smacked the back of her head. She probably hit her head earlier or something. She was being so not herself.

Rachel sat up slowly, settling herself in the middle of the back seat. Quinn's eyes were still on her, watching her every move. She could see Santana stealing glances at her from the rearview mirror.

"Well, hello Santana."

The deep frown on the Latina's face disappeared and was replaced with a relieved and sincere smile, "Hey there, Smurfette."

Rachel pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. She had no clue how she got in to the car or when Santana arrived at the park to pick them up. Well, she thought she saw the Latina a while ago...

That wasn't a dream?

"Hmm...Was I out long?"

"Not much. About fifteen to twenty minutes," Quinn answered.

"I see," Rachel sighed. The idiots really got a number on her. She frowned in annoyance. What a blow on her ego. The three stooges weren't even worth a fight. _Supposedly_. And yet...

Ugh.

Her dad, Leroy, was right. She had been slacking off lately. But with school and Glee and just about everything in her life, she couldn't find the time to hone her 'other talent.' She's going for Broadway. Not a Hollywood action star.

But with what happened tonight, she had never been more thankful that her Dad taught her how to defend herself. Though she dreaded for the day that she had to condone to violence—not counting fight club, she was just grateful it was to save Quinn.

Well, sort of. If it wasn't for Quinn, Sasquatch would have probably beaten her up to death. But then, if Quinn didn't get held hostage, she would have done waayyy better than that. No, seriously. Like sooo much better. Amazing even. Outstanding. And just...badass!

Damn it.

Rachel groaned. She sucked.

"Tiny, are you sure you don't want to go to a hospital?" Santana asked, mistaking the sound of Rachel's internal turmoil as a cry of pain.

Rachel shook her head, shoving her thoughts about tonight's event at the back of her head and buried it deep. Never to be opened again.

"Are you sure, Rach? You could have internal bleeding for all we know."

Rachel's lip twitched in a slight curve, "I'm fine, Quinn. And I'm sure I'm not suffering from internal bleeding. He didn't hit me that hard."

Quinn scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Rachel huffed and crossed her arms, "It is true."

"Rachel, that guy beat you up and hit you with a stick as big as a baseball bat!"

"Now, you're exaggerating. It was merely a stick. Besides, it only happened because there's a knife on your throat!"

"What?!"

The two girls gasped in surprise and fell forward as Santana slammed on the break before turning her full attention on the brunette.

"The fuck are you talking about, Rach?!"

"You haven't told her yet?" Rachel asked, eyeing the blonde.

"I was sort of saving it for later. You know. So we can go home in peace. Not in pieces. Santana's not a safe driver when she's pissed."

"I'm right here and I can hear you," the Latina deadpanned, "Besides, I'm already pissed. Look at Rachel!" Santana motioned to Rachel's direction. She didn't really care if it sounded that she was being protective of the tiny diva...because she really was. And she ignored the thought that it was sort of hypocritical. She admitted she had her fair share of hurting the girl, but she would never go as far as hurting her physically. Never. She would never lay a finger on Rachel. And just the thought of her getting assaulted like this...It just made her blood boil.

Quinn exhaled sharply.

Rachel scrunched her face. Did she look _that_ bad?

"San..."

"No, Q. You are telling me _right now_."

"Santana, Rachel is hurt. Sh-"

"I'm fi-"

"No, Rachel. You are not fine—"

Rachel shut her mouth tight. She really hated it when the blonde turned head bitch on her.

"—You're bleeding and you're injured. We need to know the extent of your injuries so we can identify a proper intervention for you. And if we find any broken bones on you or suspect any internal bleeding, we are dragging your ass to a hospital whether you like it or not. Got it?"

Rachel could only nod dumbly. Did Quinn just channel her?

"And you," Quinn turned her attention to the Latina and met her eyes, "Drive. We'll talk about it when we get home. Right now, Rachel needs medical attention."

Santana stared at her captain with narrowed eyes before sighing in defeat and started driving again, "Fine. But we're talking about this, Q."

Quinn's face softened for her secret girlfriend. She reached out to her, placing her hand at the back of the Latina's head and gently massaged her scalp. She smiled when she felt Santana relaxed.

"San, baby, I know you're just worried. But everything's going to be okay now."

Rachel's ears perked up at the term of endearment that—she would assume—unconsciously slipped out of Quinn's mouth. She noticed how it rolled off the blonde's tongue so easily and comfortably, and she couldn't ignore the uncomfortable, unknown tug in her heart.

Rachel released a sharp breathe. She didn't know where that feeling came from, or what that meant...or _why_ she felt that. She didn't have the strength to ponder on it. And quite frankly, she didn't care whatever it was.

Really. She didn't. She _shouldn't_.

Then why couldn't she tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her?

**Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B**

Santana was just putting bandage on Quinn's small-and-not-really-deep-but-still-hurts-like-a-b itch scrape on her throat when the door of the living room burst open. Before any of them could react, a blur of blonde passed by and Quinn found herself being lifted from her seat and was engulfed in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh God Quinn! You're okay! You're alright! Thank God!"

"Brit-" Quinn was interrupted by a pair of lips crashing onto hers in a hard, passionate kiss that rendered her weak and breathless.

Brittany broke the kiss, her hands still on each side of Quinn's head as she stared hard on her still stunned girlfriend, "Do you have any idea how much you scared me tonight?! What were you doing out so late anyway?! Anything could happen! What if Rachel wasn't there with you?! And—oh God! Rachel! Where is she? Is she okay?" Brittany scanned the room frantically without letting go of the other blonde.

Brittany was now on verge of tears while Quinn guiltily bit her bottom lip. The Head Cheerios opened her mouth in attempt to placate the raging blonde only to get interrupted by a glare from the dancer.

"I can't believe you Quinn!" With that, Brittany crashed her lips again with the shorter blonde's.

Santana stared at the two blondes kissing in front of her, a little stunned and surprised at the sudden arrival of her other girlfriend. She shook her head in attempt to recover her senses.

"B, you really shouldn't be doing that. Rachel is just upstairs," Santana calmly chastised, breaking the two blondes.

Brittany frowned, sticking out her bottom lip, "Well, sorry for being worried sick for my girlfriend."

"Sorry, baby. I just don't want Rachel to freak out if she sees you. I don't think right now is the right time nor is it the best way for her to find out."

Santana's face softened and pecked the tall blonde's lips to comfort her. Quinn smiled at the pouting blonde and pulled her again in a hug which was soon joined by the Latina.

"How's Rachel doing?" Brittany asked as the three of them broke the embrace and sat down on the couch. She pulled Quinn on her lap and wrapped her arms around the girl's waist tightly, afraid to let go. The incident tonight scared her to death to the point that she found herself arriving at Santana's place in five minutes time instead of the usual ten. And she was the safest driver among the three of them.

"She's having a bath right now. She insisted on it since, according to her, it helps her relax and relieve some of the soreness," Santana answered, and then licked her lips as her face turned thoughtful, "And I just have this feeling that this isn't the first time she had gotten herself in this situation. She is surprisingly calm about what happened tonight and she isn't even bothered in just a slightest about her injuries. Like it was a regular occurrence. It's quite...disturbing."

Quinn hummed in agreement, her hands distractedly playing with Brittany's hair, "I agree. And after the multiple blows she got tonight, I'm amazed she's still standing," she paused as she gathered her thoughts, her eyes turning solemn, "But I'm just so glad she's okay. I mean, that statement isn't even half of how I'm feeling right now. I was there. I watched her take those hits just because she was scared I'd get hurt. And that guy was twice as big as Rachel. His fist was half the size of her face!"

Brittany tightened her grip on the girl sitting on her lap who was trying so hard not to cry. Santana rubbed Quinn's thigh in an effort to comfort the blonde.

"I was so scared…" Quinn choked in whisper, "I shouldn't have gone out..."

"Hey, baby...it's not your fault. You wouldn't have known those bastards would be there."

"But that's just it, Santana! I know it's not safe to be out late. It's common sense! But I still did. How stupid was that?"

"Quinn. Stop. Just...stop," Brittany reprimanded, gently forcing the blonde to look at her, "You're not stupid and it's not your fault. We're in Lima. It's not like everyday bad things happen here. You just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. And I'm glad that you and Rachel are safe now. That's all that matters. Let's just forget about what happened tonight and move on. Do you understand?"

Quinn nodded but didn't say anything.

"Just don't do it again, okay? No more late night walks for you. For any of us. And when you go out, you will tell us. We deserve to know that. The same goes for me and Santana. We will inform each other about our whereabouts so we won't worry."

"Okay, B," Quinn said quietly, burrowing her face on the tall blonde's neck.

"Speaking of," Santana started, arching an eyebrow on Brittany's direction.

"What?"

"Why are you here, B? I believed I told you to come here tomorrow morning instead because it's already late, and after what happened tonight, we have established that it's _dangerous_ to be out at this hour."

"Oh...that," Brittany grinned sheepishly, "I was really worried and scared and just...worried that I just had to be here."

Santana kept her eyes on the blonde—who was now shifting uncomfortably on her seat—looking unimpressed at the blonde's antics.

Brittany sighed in defeat, resting her head on Quinn's shoulder, "I was really scared, Santana. Do you really expect me to just sit and relax in my room after what you told me? Even if you assured me that everything's fine, I just...I just had to see them."

Santana sympathized with the tall blonde, scooting closer on her girlfriends as she placed an arm around Brittany, resting her head on her shoulder.

"I understand, B. I really do."

Yes. Santana understood quite perfectly. And then more. When Quinn told her what happened, she felt the fear of the possibility of losing the blonde that way...Rachel too. And she hadn't even talked to the diva yet. She had so much to say to her, she wouldn't even know where to begin.

Something shifted within Santana tonight. She had never been that scared in her entire life. And Santana Lopez didn't do fear...until tonight. She could have lost two of the most important people in her life. One of them, she had yet to prove herself to. Not everybody could get a second chance such as this. And she was ready to make use of it in the best way she could.

Other than the fear, she was fuming. If she was a cartoon character, she would have turned red with smoke coming out of her nose and ears. Or if she was a marvel character, she would be green and big and would jump her way towards the police station then squash the bastards with her bare hands. And she wouldn't even feel guilty about it.

That's how pissed she was. Nobody messes with any of Santana's girls—yes that included Rachel—and got away with it.

However, she felt slightly better when Quinn told her how Rachel kicked their asses. Quinn described it with admiration and awe in her eyes that Santana would have been jealous if it wasn't Rachel.

But it was Rachel. She had always been amazing like that. Her small stature never stopped her from exchanging fists—alongside with Santana—with anyone that would try to hurt them. No matter the size or age, Rachel was ready to defend them, tooth for tooth.

And what happened tonight only proved it. Again. Like always.

And it just broke Santana's heart a little more than it already was just by the thought of it. She couldn't imagine what Quinn must be going through right now being at the receiving end. Rachel was ready to die for the blonde...when all she did—no, when all _they_ did, was nothing but be horrible to the small diva.

How was that fair? Rachel was killing them with her kindness. Always have. Always will. They used to hate her for it. Things would have been easier if Rachel would only learn to fight back.

But that's just her selfishness talking. It was an easy escape after all. And then they realized they didn't deserve the easy way out. After everything they had done to Rachel, they deserved this kind of punishment.

And they would gladly accept it no matter how much it hurt. It was the _least_ they could do.

"So...Q, what were you doing in the park with Rachel?"

**Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B**

Rachel sighed in relief as soon as she felt the warm bath embraced her sore body. Exactly what she needed right now. Her injuries from last Friday night hadn't completely healed yet and after tonight, she was pretty sure it had gotten bad again.

She rested her head on the edge of the tub and closed her eyes as she replayed the events of that night. She didn't bother to think about the traumatic—on her ego—experience since she promised to bury the incident six feet underground.

So...about Quinn.

Rachel took a deep breath as she tried to calm her suddenly beating heart at the memory of the scene on the playground. Quinn was...She was...different. Well, it was mostly like she was back to her old self. Unguarded. Relaxed. No mask. No nothing. Just plain Lucy Quinn Fabray. She didn't even bother that she was crying in front of Rachel Berry, the sorest loser in school—and to think Quinn was crying because of Rachel.

But then again, before she was that, she was Quinn's bestest best friend. With that in consideration, she knew, just by looking at Quinn, if the girl was sincere or pretending. And the blonde was _really_ good at the latter. High school made Rachel realized that. But she couldn't fool Rachel no matter how good of an actress the blonde was. She could always see through Quinn. Besides, the diva was amazing at that forte. Her eyes were trained to detect the slightest hint of deceit on anyone's faces.

But tonight...Quinn was being...Lucy. Period. She didn't see the image of the Head Cheerio nor the Ice Queen. She saw a grown up version of Lucy...except the girl looked broken and remorseful instead of the warm, smiley face that Lucy usually had.

And Lucy wept for Rachel. The diva felt it and her heart ached for the blonde. She had never, and she meant ever, seen Quinn so...small and so vulnerable—even those times when they were just Rachel and _Lucy_. It was like Quinn could break in to pieces with just a flick of her finger. It was sad seeing her like that. It reminded Rachel of how she was when her world crumbled the moment her supposedly soul mates turned their backs on her.

And it hurt her. It pained Rachel to see someone she loved—and she still does—break down like that. It took all of her not to gather the sobbing girl in her arms and kissed the tears away...just the way she used to do when they were still friends.

But...

Quinn had immensely hurt her. Santana and Brittany too.

No.

They _killed_ her. Her heart stopped beating the moment they abandoned her, alone and freezing—literally—on the hallway to be laughed at by the student body. And she endured it for two freaking years.

Yes. She didn't loath the girls. Never could. Never will. But was she ready to forgive and forget? To pretend that nothing happened and live happily ever after?_ Just like that_?

Rachel scoffed. As if. This was no fairy tale. Their stories weren't about a princess finding her prince charming. It was way more complicated than that. Actually, scratch that. Her situation was mind-boggling, weird and just...hopeless.

Who falls in love with three people all at the same time? Let alone her (ex) best friends who were all girls. Really. Which cliché story tells a story like that?

None. Because it didn't exist. It probably would if the situation was as simple as friends turned enemy turned friends again then realized they have feelings for each other. Now that's something that existed even in the real world.

But...polyamorous relationship? Nop. Never heard of that before. Unless the stories she found on the internet were true—what? She googled it.

Rachel shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. What relationship? What love? They weren't even friends anymore. And she wasn't sure if they could still be—at least not as close as they used to be. The thing that connected them was just...so damaged. Dying if it's not already dead...right?

Then why was it that just the mere touch of skin to skin from the girls made her blood alive? It made her live again. She couldn't really explain it...but it felt like nothing had changed for the past two years. She still felt those little tingles on her skin whenever a hand would touch her, her heart still beat like crazy whenever she would meet their eyes, her breathing stopped whenever they would come near her...

And she would always find herself torn between feeling good about it and chastising herself for even feeling that way. She was supposed to be moving on...going forward. Not backwards. For almost two years, she had been telling herself that. And yet, here she was...still stuck somewhere in the middle. She would move one step forward, only to find herself stepping back without her realizing it.

Every. Single. Day.

But tonight...tonight she had found herself stepping one hundred times backwards. She had almost lost Quinn. She could have. With just one wrong move, Quinn would be lying on the ground with an open throat, slowly bleeding to death.

The thought sent shivers to her spine and she felt like throwing up. Rachel knew that guy would do it. She saw it in his eyes. It was cold, dead with intent to kill. And those eyes would probably haunt her for next nights to come.

The incident tonight had made her realize just how dip she had dig her own grave. She was in love with Quinn...just as she was in love with Santana and Brittany. That was something she had already established for a while now. It wasn't just attraction. It went way deeper than that. And it amazed her how their absence had only made the feeling dormant...not disappear.

And after this night, that feeling had awoken with a start—hitting her _hard_ on the face and it caught her off guard.

Now, she's just as lost as ever. Where would this sudden comeback of feelings take her now? She had no place in their lives. _Not anymore_.

Then there's Quinn and her promise to make things better, as well as Brittany's cryptic message outside the cafe yesterday and their strange behavior towards her since summer.

Even Santana's jealousy felt so...strange to her. She always knew when the Latina was jealous. She could sense it from a mile radius. She had always thought it was directed towards her because of Puck, but the sudden breakup made her think otherwise. Puck confirmed to her that Santana never did jealousy in the course of their so-called relationship. It was something that was alien to them. Even the Mohawk boy was a little weirded out on the Latina's aggressiveness towards their tandem.

Rachel didn't want to assume. But she really couldn't find any sensible explanation towards Santana's behavior. Puck had been with _a lot_ of other girls and Santana was unfazed about it—_except_ for Rachel.

Unless Santana really hated her that much.

Rachel scrunched her face. She wouldn't go that far because then, it would counteract the sudden—still unexplained—sense of some kind of decent casualness towards her by the Latina. Granted, she's still as bitchy as ever but it wasn't like before and not as often. Come to think of it, Santana's bitchy side only came out on certain situations; something that still confused Rachel.

She had the same observation with Quinn. Though not in the violent, crude way that Santana preferred, the sting of the Ice Queen was still there, freaking the hell out of everyone.

Then there's Brittany who was _actually_ reaching out to her in her own strange ways. Rachel was _almost_ sure the tall blonde was trying—until Brittany gave her an ultimatum that sent all of those hopeful thoughts crashing down.

Damn it.

These girls were fucking with her head and it was driving her crazy. She really didn't want this stress adding to her already taxing everyday life.

Rachel pulled her hair with both of her hands until she could feel the roots almost coming out of her scalp before letting out a frustrated cry.

"Rachel, are you okay in there?"

The diva was startled by the knocking on the door and the voice of Santana calling out to her. Her cheeks turned a shade of red when she realized how loud she was and that she wasn't in her own bathroom and she probably had been there for forever. She didn't even notice the water had turned cold.

"Rachel?"

"I'm fine. I'm almost done here," Rachel answered. With a sigh, she got out of the tub and dried herself with a towel. She walked towards the mirror and stared at herself. Her face contorted in disgust as she assessed her face.

Wow. She looked _awful_. She looked worse than a battered wife—not that she had any reference.

Rachel let out another sigh before picking up the clothes that Santana gave her. The girls had insisted that she spent the night there considering her condition and how late it was. She looked at the clothes and realized that the pieces of garment were actually hers—back to the days when they would stock up some clothes in each other's houses just in case of impromptu sleepovers. Nostalgia struck her body as memories after memories flooded her mind, her heart constricting at every recollection she had of the four of them together.

Rachel shook her head to drive away the bittersweet memories and proceeded to dress herself. She didn't want to ponder on it more. She was tired and sore and her body was on the verge of passing out.

**Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B**

The three girls settled themselves on Santana's room. Brittany was sprawled on the bed, having a staring contest with the ceiling. She was doing that a lot lately. Quinn plopped herself on a bean bag lying on the floor, her eyes having that faraway look. Santana was patiently standing in front of the bathroom door, her foot tapping on the ground with her arms crossed.

When they heard Rachel scream, they all went running upstairs, afraid that Rachel had hurt herself. Their anxiety grew when the diva didn't answer right away. Santana already had the key of her bathroom on her hand, ready to unlock the door in case something happened to the tiny brunette. They sighed in relief when Rachel finally answered.

Now, they were just waiting for Rachel to come out so they could attend to her wounds. Quinn had just finished retelling her conversation with Rachel, putting emphasis on how Alex affected Rachel's life. They knew they were being unreasonable for hating on Alex when they should just be thankful for what she did for Rachel. The girl practically saved Rachel's life. No matter how hard it was to admit it, Alex had earned their respect just for being something that the three of them miserably failed to do—a friend to Rachel Berry.

But hey, that didn't mean they would just accept defeat. Not a chance.

There was a sound of a door being unlocked and the three of them straightened in attention, all eyes focusing on the girl that emerged out of the bathroom. Before anyone could say anything, Brittany was already on her feet. With quick strides, she passed by the Latina and stood right in front of Rachel.

"Rachel," Brittany breathed out, taking in the appearance of the tiny diva.

"Brittany?" Rachel took a step back, surprised at the unexpected presence of the tall blonde, "Hey. When did you get here?" she asked casually, offering a smile while trying to ignore the way Brittany was scrutinizing her.

"You're…"

Brittany continued to stare at Rachel as if she said nothing. She couldn't finish her statement as her heart dropped at the sight of the girl in front of her. There were large bruises on every corner of her face, her bottom lip was broken, and there was a small cut on her right cheek. She felt her eyes burn from the tears that were beginning to form. She blinked in attempt to stop it from falling. She hesitantly reached out her arms to the brunette, but pulled back in fear that the small girl would actually break. Swallowing the lump on her throat, she gave out a small cough, "C-Can I hug you?"

Rachel was a little baffled but found herself shrugging nonchalantly and nod. Within a second, she was engulfed in a warm embrace. She hissed a little at the contact when the tall blonde tried to squeeze her.

Brittany stepped back abruptly, her eyes widening comically and held her hands up, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Rachel chuckled at Brittany's reaction, "It's fine, Brittany. You really didn't hurt me. Relax."

The tall blonde smiled sheepishly, biting her bottom lip, "Sorry. I was just...I'm just..." Brittany trailed off. She took a deep breath as she met Rachel's curious eyes, "I'm just glad you're here, Rachie."

The tiny diva beamed at the sincerity on the blonde's voice, "So am I. Thank you."

There goes the fluttery feeling in her stomach—that she wasn't supposed to feel—as she roamed her eyes around the room, her eyes landing on the three girls that used to be a part of her life. They still were part of it…just in a complicated and confusing manner.

Rachel cleared her throat to break the silence and clasped her hands in front, "So...we should all probably get some rest now. School tomorrow," she said and winced a little for being too enthusiastic than she had intended to.

"Nu-uh, not until we do something about your injuries."

Rachel frowned at the Head Cheerio who was now pulling her towards Santana's bed, "But I'm fine!" She whined, fighting the urge to stomp her foot. She was serious. Her body was caving in from exhaustion.

"Shush," Quinn waved her off, "Okay. Strip and lay on your back."

Rachel's jaw dropped, "What?"

Quinn rolled her eyes, "How am I supposed to see your injuries if you won't take your clothes off?"

"B-but..."

"Come on, Tiny. It's nothing we haven't seen before."

Rachel was appalled, "Excuse you. It's _everything _you haven't seen before!"

"Uh. No. We just saw you topless on the first day, remember?" Brittany teased with a playful grin.

"I wasn't topless _topless_!" Rachel huffed. This time she really stomped her foot and crossed her arms, horrified at the reminder of that fateful day and quite annoyed for being ganged up, "Did you really have to remind that?" she mumbled lowly, earning a giggle from Brittany and a snort from the Latina.

"Come on, Rach. It's almost midnight. Waaayy past your bed time," Quinn said patiently, offering a tired but still lighthearted smile, "Let's get this over with so we can all have our beauty sleep, okay?"

Rachel sighed in defeat. She really wanted to go to sleep so badly she was willing to take off her shirt. She glared playfully at Quinn, "Fine."

"Thank you."

"Let me just get some ice and the medicine kit downstairs," Santana offered and she was out the door.

Rachel was still reluctant to strip off of her top. She shifted from one foot to another as she played with the hem of her shirt, weighing down the pros and cons of the situation.

"Umm...Quinn..."

Quinn looked up at the taller blonde, "Britt?"

Brittany met the blonde's hazel eyes, silently sending a message while subtly stealing a glance on the tiny brunette who was wearing a concentrated frown on her face.

Taking the hint, Quinn nodded and smiled, "I think I'm gonna go check on Santana. Be right back."

Brittany sent her girlfriend an appreciated smile before turning to the small girl who was now sitting at the edge of the bed, "Rach…"

"Yeah?" Rachel responded, still distracted with the idea of being half naked in front of the three most popular girls in school. She wasn't really insecure of her body. She knew she had great abs thanks to her Dad for being strict on her routine. She got great legs too—from what she heard. And her chest...well, let's not go there. All in all, she believed she had an amazing body. Not as amazing as her talent, but it's something to be proud of.

However...when it came to these girls, her confidence seemed to falter. They intimidated her to no ends. There was a time that they brought out the best in her. But ever since they went to high school, all she could feel was pure insecurity. Who could blame her though? All these girls, and mostly half of the student body, did nothing but humiliate her and point out her 'defects' and call her names.

"Don't do that. It'll give you wrinkles," Brittany stated, her voice low and gentle as she straightened out the diva's eyebrows with her thumbs. She proceeded to hold the brunette's face with both hands, positioning it just below the girl's jaw.

Rachel was startled with the gesture. She was too spaced out to realize that she had been wearing a deep frown on her face. She lifted her head up, glancing at the blonde that was now standing in front of her. _Too closely_.

And the look on Brittany's eyes had somehow caused her hear to pound on her chest for a different reason. Rachel fisted on the bed sheets, controlling herself from putting her hands on the blonde's hips—just because it felt like it's the right thing to do in this situation, okay? She's a sucker for romance. So what?

Brittany stared at the starlet, her heart once again feeling for Rachel's condition. Rachel looked so small she couldn't imagine anyone—that was probably bigger than Finn Hudson—beating her up like this. Her jaw tensed as images of Quinn's description on how that bastard had lifted Rachel from the ground and hit her nonstop.

Granted, Rachel did give them what they deserved but it seemed to not be enough to ease her worry. Rachel could have been _seriously_ hurt. Quinn too. And despite what she had told Quinn, she didn't think she could ever forget this night even if she wasn't there when it happened. Looking at Rachel right now, it was enough to let her _know _how bad it had been. And it was enough of a trauma to last her a lifetime.

"You know, I never really thanked you for saving Quinn tonight," Brittany said quietly, her gaze never wavering from the brunette.

Rachel met Brittany's gaze with an intensity of her own, "No need to thank me. I just happened to be there, you know."

"True. But still...if it weren't for you...Quinn could..."

The brunette took Brittany's hands with hers and squeezed them tightly. She smiled when she felt the blonde squeezed back. She ignored the butterflies flying around in her stomach as she ran her thumb on a circular motion on the girl's hands in attempt to sooth the frowning blonde.

"Let's not think about that, Britt. Honestly, I'm just as grateful that I was there. I mean, I know we have our..._differences_—"

Brittany pursed her lips at that.

"—for the past few years. And I know things had been...difficult—"

The tall blonde's frown grew deeper as she sensed the brunette struggling to choose her words.

"—but despite of all that, Quinn was once a part of my life and we had been through a lot growing up together. It's not something I could just ignore just because we are having our...issues right now," Rachel finished, letting go of the blonde's hands as she tried to avoid eye contact with the her. The unspoken issue revolving around them had always made her feel uncomfortable.

Brittany felt her stomach dropped at how Rachel talked about Quinn—and most probably her and Santana too— in the past form.

"I would still be devastated if something bad happens to her. Especially in a very horrifying manner," Rachel grimaced at the thought, remembering how that man looked while holding Quinn, "I just did what…I always do," she added in a soft whisper, her gaze falling to her feet.

The tall Cheerios studied the brunette sitting on the bed. She took note of her slumped shoulder, her head down in a defeated manner…And Brittany's heart ached…longing to reach for the dispirited girl. She placed a hand on the diva's chin, lifting it so she could look at those big, brown eyes.

Rachel could feel her heart thumping against her chest as she got lost behind those deep blue eyes looking at her with honest sincerity and a glint of sadness and a lot of regrets.

"Rachel...I know things are really...screwed up. Badly. And please believe me when I say how sorry I am for everything that happened. I know it's not enough...It will never be enough, Rach. And things may be beyond repair but...we would really like to try and...fix it...for the lack of a better term," Brittany said lowly. She bit her bottom lip anxiously as she met the brunette's eyes.

"And...I'd like to start by apologizing for what happened today. It was...uncalled for, selfish, careless and really, really stupid. I don't know what came over me to utter those words and I regret it so bad...And if there's any way I can do to make it up to you, Rach, I would do it."

Rachel blinked. Wow. Overwhelmed would be a major understatement. Quinn was already too much to handle. And now, Brittany's telling her pretty much the same thing as Quinn. Just...wow. She didn't even know how to feel about all of these sudden dramas.

What's with these girls tonight? Did they plan on drowning her with these emotions and then drove her to insanity? Seriously. These girls...Ugh. She couldn't even find the words anymore.

Brittany's eyes had always been the most expressive ones among the four them, hers being the second. Quinn's and Santana's tended to be guarded and blank most of the time except for certain situations—like tonight. And just by looking at those blue eyes right now, she just knew. She knew Brittany meant every damn word.

Rachel was doing her best to ignore all the tension and different emotions flying around the room. She tried to avoid eye contact as much as possible until Brittany approached her. She wasn't really sure how much more she could handle tonight. Well, so much for trying.

Brittany, feeling worried by Rachel's silence, kneeled in front of her so she could catch the avoidant brown eyes. She engulfed the small hands with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Rach...I know this is too much too soon. But...after tonight..." the blonde paused and let out a sigh, "I was really scared, Rachie. Super scared. And...God. I just want you to know that...that I-I care for you. A lot. I never really stopped, you know. You don't know how much I regret—"

"Stop."

"Rachel..."

"Please," Rachel whispered, her voice wavering. She gently took her hands away from the blonde, taking notice on the hurt that plastered on Brittany's face. She ignored it, however, as she was battling with her own emotional crisis, "I'm sorry, Britt."

Brittany managed to smile a little, but it was a sad one, barely keeping her lips from trembling, blinking away the tears that burned in her eyes, "It's fine. I understand."

Rachel kept her gaze at the wall behind Brittany, getting herself lost in her own thoughts. Tonight, the girls were treating her like a fragile. It was as if she's some thin glass that would shatter if not handled with care and it was giving her all kinds of crazy feelings. It was freaking messing up her mind. And she felt scared. Really scared.

Because little moments like this was what made the string that bound her to her former best friends pull her closer to them—too close she might add. It was frustrating how it was all against her will and yet, the strong want to be with consumed her so easily. And now that her dormant feelings had awoken, she was doing her best to fight against that pull...

Because she knew she could never handle a repeat of what the girls did to her. It would totally damage her beyond repair and she feared how it would affect her. She was certain she would never survive it this time.

She couldn't die for the second time. Nobody could.

Rachel groaned. Jesus Christ. This was by far the longest night she ever had. She could feel her head pounding. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Rachel?" Brittany called softly, leaning closer to the brunette.

"Sorry, Brittany. I'm just...not feeling really well. I think I'm coming down with a migraine."

"Considering your condition, I'm not really surprised. You should lie down."

"No, that's fine. I'm just going to wait for Quinn and Santana. I need those pain meds anyway."

As if on cue, the two mentioned girls entered the room with a soft knock. Santana was carrying a glass of water and ice pack while Quinn had the medicine box on her.

"Okay, Tiny. Drink this. Then get naked," Santana started with a smirk, a glint in her eyes, handing the diva two tablet of Ibuprofen. If she felt the tension in the room, she paid no heed to it.

"Uhh...no. I think I'm just going to lift my shirt up," Rachel protested after placing the glass of water on the night stand.

"Rach...are we having this argument again?" Quinn said with a quirk of her brow, hands on her hips. She too, ignored the heavy atmosphere in the room.

Rachel winced a little at the stern tone but still managed to roll her eyes, "I'm not really wearing anything underneath this shirt, you know. And I do believe that neither of us here would be comfortable with me 'flashing my chest' in front of you-"

Santana blatantly stared at Rachel's chest; Quinn looked down to hide the faint blush on her cheeks but a smile on her lips, while Brittany was biting her cheek to stop herself from grinning.

"-Besides, the extent of my injuries ranges only on my lower back and abdomen. Therefore, 'getting naked' isn't really necessary. Thank you very much," Rachel finished her rant with a huff.

"Are you sure you don't bruises somewhere elese?"

"Yes, Quinn. I've checked."

Quinn sighed and sat beside the tiny brunette, "Alright. If you say so."

Rachel began to lift her shirt up, acting nonchalant with the gasps that she heard from the other occupants of the room.

"What? It's not that bad."

"Jesus, Rachel. That shit looks fucking nasty."

"Oh Rachie..."

"I'm sorry..."

Rachel quickly turned her head on the blonde beside her, taking note of the trembling voice. Her heart dropped when she saw hazel eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Quinn...you don't have to apologize. This isn't your fault—please, don't cry," Rachel hastened to ease the troubled blonde.

"But-"

"No. None of this is your fault," Rachel said firmly, "I went to that park in my own free will, remember? You just happened to be there as well. And, unfortunately, so as those morons."

"But you didn't have to stay though. It's me they wanted," Quinn murmured.

Rachel stared, her lips tight, "Okay. I'm not really sure which part of your statement I should be more offended, Quinn. The idea that you would even think I would just leave you there? Or the part where you insinuated that I am unwanted? Not that I would be ecstatic to be wanted by addicts turned rapists with homicidal tendencies."

Quinn shook her head, "That's not-"

Rachel held her hand up to cut off the blonde's statement, "Never mind. That's not important. Either way, I'm just glad we're okay and still breathing. Now, let's just get this over with because the cold air is kind of making me really uncomfortable," she stated with a frown, her bruises contracting due to being exposed to the cold air.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Quinn smiled sheepishly. She fetched the ointment from the medicine box and applied a small amount on her index and middle fingers. She began to apply it lightly on the brunette's back.

Brittany snatched the ointment from the shorter blonde's hands. Copying Quinn's action, she began to apply some ointment on Rachel's abdominal area as well. Santana, on the other hand, held the ice pack on the singer's swollen cheek.

Rachel's breath hitched, shivers running through her body as fingers made contact with her skin. She didn't know if it was due to the cold or the mere fact that the two blondes were touching her in a very gentle and soft manner. She hoped it was the former. Her grip on her shirt tightened as she kept her eyes glued on a black spot on the wall.

Then she felt a hand crawl at the back of her neck, gently massaging it, long fingernails gently scratching on her scalp. Before she could control herself, she let out a satisfied hum, her eyes feeling heavy.

Then there was warm breath tickling her right ear, followed by a pair of soft, wet lips, causing her to feel lightheaded—her body too weak and tired to put up a fight. Then another pair of soft lips was pampering her left shoulder with butterfly kisses, leaving goose bumps on its track. Then she felt soft fingers running up and down across her bare thighs, drawing little circles with a barely there touch which was soon joined by a third pair of lips, teasing your skin with light kisses. A throaty moan escaped Rachel's lips, marveling the blissful sort of erotic state she was in.

God. This felt so fucking good.

"Rachel..." the husky voice nibbling on her right ear called but she didn't answer. Instead, she bit her bottom lip to restrain another moan threatening to escape her lips.

"Rach..." another voice called her name.

"Hmm..." Rachel hummed distractedly, her mind still I cloud nine.

"Rachel...Wake up, Rach..."

"H-Huh?"

Rachel shut her eyes open, confusion written all over her face. What the-? She blinked her eyes rapidly as she tried to gather her thoughts. She realized that she was now lying down on the bed, the girls hovering above her, looking at her with concern.

"Rachie...are you okay?"

More blinking. Then realization dawned onto her. She just had an erotic fantasy-slash-dream about her ex-best friends who were now staring at her with frowns on their faces. With a speed of light, she was out of the bed and on her feet, aware of the looks the trio was giving her.

"I-I...uh...how long was I asleep?"

"Umm...just a few minutes, I guess. We were just about to sleep too. Then you were making these noises...We thought you were in pain or something," Brittany explained, "Are you okay?"

_Noises Rachel? NOISES?!_

The diva mentally smacked her forehead. She wanted to die right there and then. How embarrassing. She could feel her cheeks burning, her heart pounding, her thoughts racing with different not so innocent thoughts regarding the three gorgeous girls in the room—whom she just noticed were now wearing skimpy sleep clothes.

"Uh..." Rachel cleared her throat, "Yeah. I-I'm good. I'm okay. We should probably go to sleep now. It's getting really late. Good night!" she hurriedly blurted out. Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and headed for the door.

A hand grabbing her wrist stopped her just as she was turning the knob.

"Whoa. Wait up. Where are you going, Rae?"

"Um...to sleep?"

"You're not...staying here?" Brittany asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Rachel pursed her lips in concentration, her eyes danced at the trio. She gnawed on her bottom lip. She was _seriously_ considering it but...

"No. Sorry. I guess it's best for me to stay in the guest room. I'll just show myself out. I'll see you girls tomorrow," with a nod and a tight smile, Rachel went out of the room.

**Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B**

Rachel tossed and turned on the bed. She'd like to think that the discomfort and pain from her bruises was the reason why she couldn't sleep. But she knew better. Her body was screaming at her to get rest but her mind was swirling with a million thoughts that she couldn't keep her eyes close. The dream she had earlier had kept her hot and bothered.

Like _really_ bothered. And worried. And confused. And frustrated. And feeling hot. And wanting more. And just...bothered.

Shit.

"What the fuck was that?" Rachel whispered to the quiet room.

What a night.

**Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B**

"Do you think she knows?" Brittany asked in the quiet room.

The three of them were huddled together—Quinn at the center—her girlfriends' arms wrapped around her protectively.

"What? That we practically molested her in her sleep?"

"You say it like you didn't enjoy it, Q."

"Shut up," Quinn muttered as a blush formed in her cheeks. Because, yes, she actually did enjoy the feeling of Rachel's warm skin against her lips. It would be a loss cause trying to deny it. And she should feel guilty about it because, oh my God, they just assaulted (with their lips and hands) a sleeping, helpless girl who was also injured and weak and...squirming and making those damn sexy noises that heightened their damn hormones.

Could you blame them? Their feelings had been repressed—thanks to their idiocy—for so long they just _had_ to. At least they had the decency not to rip the girl's clothes off.

God. When did they become such horny teenage boys? Wait—no. They were worse than them.

Quinn groaned and covered her face with her hands, "That was..." What? Hot? Sexually frustrating? Torture? "Unexpected."

"Rachel would hate us if she finds out."

"She won't, Britt. She was pretty out of it."

Santana shifted from where she was lying, "Umm...yeah. About that guys...I may or may not have gotten carried away..." she said cautiously as she tried to distance herself from the two blondes.

Quinn snapped her head to the Latina's direction while Brittany propped up one elbow to stare at Santana with worry in her eyes.

"Santana, what did you do?" Quinn asked with narrowed eyes.

"Uhh...heh."

**Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B**

On the other room, Rachel stopped breathing as she stood in front of a mirror in the bathroom, jaw dropped on the floor, her eyes wide as she fixed her gaze at a certain part of her neck where her pulse was located.

Was that...a hickey?

**Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B**

**Still, tell me what you think? ;)**


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